Train-order holder



D. R. CRADY.

TRAIN ORDER HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED 050.29. I919.

1,360,370. Patented Nov. 30, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- D. R. GRADY.

TRAIN ORDER HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.29, I919.

Patented Nov. 30, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- iliiwllllllllliillllll I UNITED STATES DANIEL R. GRADY, OF VERNON, TEXAS.

TRAIN-ORDER HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented N 0v. 30, 1920.

Application filed December 29, 1919. Serial No. 348,211.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL R. GRADY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vernon, in the county of WVilbarger and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Train-Order Holders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device adapted to receive and hold a tablet, such as a train order, and to serve as a margin guide, preventing the user from writing upon the margins.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device of the above mentioned character, which is adapted to hold a train order tablet, in a manner to prevent the accidental displacement by wind or otherwise, of the carbons between the sheets thereof, and to quickly and conveniently release the tablet, when desired.

A further object of the invention is to rovide yielding means which is adapted to old the margin clamp-plates in the closed or opened position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above mentioned character, which is simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, strong and durable.

A further object of the invention is to provide holders of the above mentioned character, which are adapted to be stacked one upon the other, and having means to hold them against lateral displacement, but allowing of the longitudinal movement of one holder, such as the top holder without disturbing the stack.

Other objects and advantagesof the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a device embodying my invention,

Fig. l is an end elevation of stacks of the holders, I

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the holder, showing parts thereofin the open position,

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken on line l4 of Fig. 1, V ,7

Fig. 5 is a detail section taken on line 5 -5 Fig. 6 is a similar view taken on line 66 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a spring element.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 10 designates a casing, which is preferably formed of sheet metal, such as tin. This casing has its bottom forced or bent upwardly, forming a raised supporting portion 12, for receiving thereon the train order tablet l3, as clearly shown in Fig.3. The casing 10 is provided at its top and bottom with ends 14 and 15, shown in Fig. 4 more clearly, which ends are preferably formed by bending the material of the bottom upwardly. The numeral 16 designates the sides of the casing, which are also preferably formed by bending the material of the bottom of the casing upwardly. The sides 16 are connected with the top 14, and blocks 17 are preferably arranged in the corners formed by these elements, and are secured thereto by bending the metal or otherwise.

The numeral 18 designates a writing plate, which is foldable into the casing 10. This writing plate has one end thereof crimped or bent about a rod 19, as shown at 20. This rod has its ends pivoted within transverse slots 21, formed upon inwardly extending portions 22, carried by the sides 16 and arranged near the end 15, as shown. The plate 18 is adapted to be placed between selected leaves of the tablet 13, and the slots 21 permit of the lateral adjustment of the writing plate, as the thickness of the tablet varies.

The numeral 23 designates the margin clamp-plates, which arepreferably formed of sheet metal and have their portions bent transversely upon themselves, as shown at 24. At their opposite edges, these clampplates carry knuckles 25, pivotally receiv ing a rod or wire 26, held by knuckles 27, formed upon the upper edges of the sides 16. The clamp-plates 23 are therefore pivotally connected with the casing 10, to swing transversely thereof, to opened and closed positions.

As more clearly shown in Fig. 3, the clamp-plates 23 are provided with extensions which are bent about the rods 26, into the form of operating levers 28, disposed to operate within openings 29, cut in the sides and bottom of the casing 10. The ma terial formed by cutting the opening 29 is folded or bent upon itself, for producing straps or knuckles 30, which pivot-ally re ceive the inner curved portions 31 of spring elements 32, having outer curved 'or bowed portions 33, as shown. The bowed portions 33 have sleeves 33 fixed thereon.

As more clearly shown in Fig. 2, each clamp-plate 23 is provided upon its inner side with cranks 34;, disposed at a right angle with relation thereto, and these cranks are provided at their free ends with knuckles 35, which pivotally receive the outer or bowed portions of the spring elements The sleeves 33 are arranged between the knuckles 35 and prevent longitudinal displacement of the spring elements. Particular attention is called to the fact that the knuckles 35 are disposed permanently laterally to one side of the knuckles 30, there by causing the spring elements to swing the cranks 34L outwardly and laterally when moved past dead center. These spring elements are free to turn upon their lon gitudinal axes when the clamp-plates 23 are swung upon their pivots.

Each casing 10 is provided upon its bottom with depending ribs or flanges 36, en tending longitudinally. thereof, and adapted for insertion within longitudinal depressions or grooves 37, formed upon the upper sides of the clamp-plates 23. The blocks 17 prevent lateral displacement of the tabletand close the forward ends of grooves, while the rear ends of the grooves are open. This construction permits of the holders being stacked in a cabinet 38, as shown in 1 the ribs 36 of the upper holder being held within the grooves 37 of the lower holder. This prevents the lateral displacement of the holders in the stack, and per mits of the upper holder being withdrawn longitudinally without disturbing the stack.

In the use of the holder, the train order tablet, such as form 31 or 19, is placed within the casing, upon the bottom 12,the clampplates 23 being then open. Any suitable number of leaves may now be raised and sheets of carbon placed between the same. The plate 18 is now swung to the closed position, and is arranged beneath the lowermost sheet having the carbon above the same. The upper sheets and carbons are now swung to the lower position, and sufficient pressure exerted upon the open clampplates 23, causing them to swing inwardly and clamp the uppermost sheet, and com pletely covering the margins of the same, which are not to be written upon. The user may now write the orders upon the uppermost sheet. making any suitable number of copies. The clamp-plates will seecurely hold the tablet in place, and will prevent the sheets being blown or displaced,

while being handled in the wind, such as being passed through a railway station office window for signature. By exerting inward pressure upon the levers 28, the clamp plates will be swung to the open position.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

It is noted that by the use of this device each written order is held firmly in an individual holder, thus preventing the said order being lost by being laid in an obscure place to avoid disturbance of the said orders by wind. The holders containing written orders may be stacked one upon the other without injury to the said orders, thereby permitting the stack of orders to be searched through and inspected without danger of inadvertently handling two pads of orders at once. The pads of orders being of various thickness it is obvious that with out the holders two or more thin pads may be mistaken for a single thick pad, thus, it is pointed out that by the use of the holder safety in handling trains by train order would be promoted.

It is further noted that a sheet from one pad may be placed upon another pad and retained thereon by the clamp-plates while the order is being traced from the sheet to the pad below.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A device of the character described, comprising a casing adapted for the reception of a train order tablet or form, clampplates extending longitudinally of the casing near its sides and pivotally connected therewith, spring elements arranged within the casing and spaced from its sides and extending longitudinally thereof, each spring element embodying an inner portion and a longitudinally curved outer portion, means pivotally connecting the inner portion of each spring element with the casing, and an element arranged upon the inner side of each clamp-plate and secured thereto and rojecting laterally beyond the same and having pivotal connection with the longitudinally curved outer portion of the spring element.

2. A. device of the character described, comprising a casing having sides and adapted for receiving a train order tablet or form, said sides beingv provided with openings, clamp-plates extending longitudinally of the casing near its sides and pivotally connected therewith to turn upon their longitudinal axes, spring elements arranged within the casing and extending longitudinally thereof, each spring element embodying an inner member and a longitudinally curved outer member, means for pivotally connecting the inner member with the casing and spacing the same from the side of the casing, an element arranged upon the inner side of each clamp-plate and secured thereto and projecting laterally beyond the same and having pivotal connection with the longitudinally curved outer member, and a lever attached to the clamp-plate near its pivot and adapted for movement through the opening in the side.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a casing having sides, and adapted for receiving a train order tablet or form, said sides having portions of their material slit for forming inwardly bent straps provided at their inner ends with knuckles which are spaced from said sides, said straps forming openings in said sides, clamp-plates extending longitudinally of the casing near its sides, and pivotally connected. therewith, spring elements arranged within the casing and extending longitudinally thereof, each spring element embodying an inner member pivotally held within the knuckle and an outer longitudinally curved member, an element connected with the clamp-plate and having pivotal connection with the outer longitudinally curved member, said element being arranged upon the outer side of the knuckle when the clamp-' plate is in the opened and closed position, and a lever carried by the clamp-plate near its pivot and extending transversely thereof, said lever being adapted for movement through said opening in the side.

4. A device of the character described, comprising a casing for the receptlon of a train order tablet or form, margin clampplates pivotally connected with the casing,

longitudinally bowed spring elements extending longitudinally of and connected with the casing and the clamp-plates, and operating levers connected with the clampplates.

5. A device of the character described, comprising a casing for the reception of a train order tablet or form, margin clampplates pivotally connected with the casing, longitudinally bowed spring elements extending longitudinally within the casing, means to pivotally connect the spring elements with the casing so that they may turn upon their longitudinal axes, and means for pivotally connecting the spring elements with the clamp-plates.

6. A device of the character described, comprising a casing having sides, clampplates extending longitudinally of the sides and pivotally connected therewith to swing transversely of the casing, spring elements arranged within the casing and extending longitudinally thereof, each spring element embodying connected inner and outer members, means pivotally connecting the inner member with the casing and spacing the same from said side, and an element pivotally connecting the outer member with the clampplate, said element being arranged upon the outer side of the pivot means of the inner member when the clamp-plate is in the opened or closed position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my si nature.

DANIEL R. GR DY. 

